Dance with me?
by betrothed-to-a-feret
Summary: No, I wasn't a damsel in distress, but when the night came along, and banished the day, the stars would twinkle above me, like a sea of whispers. I know where I want to be.
1. Prologue

A.N. Hey guys, I've never written a Doctor Who fanfiction, much less a crossover, so it's a first time for me. I have, however, written Harry Potter and Twilight fanfictions, and the stories all came out with good reviews, but had to be deleted because I didn't have the time to juggle them all.

Unfortunately, I am currently working on a piece that I wish to publish, and so the writing on this story may seem a bit slow, but I will try my best to give regular updates!

Prologue

You know, I never believed in fairy-tales.

My mother would sit me down, and read them to me.

Stories of girls clinging to their last chance, and a brave knight or prince that saves the day.

I never had the time for such day-dreaming.

The mere thought of me dressed in an over the top ball gown made me laugh, it's just not me.

My parents wanted me to love the tales, like they had when they were younger.

My mother wanted me to be one of those girls who sits by their windows, watching for Prince Charming.

She wanted me to be the 'Damsel-in-distress'.

The idea never appealed to me, though. I didn't have the time for silly things like day-dreaming.

It's shocking, that a girl of my age didn't want to be a princess or a queen.

In infants school, they asked me what I wanted to be.

All the other girls had said something along the lines of 'Princesses' or 'Cinderella'.

I remember turning to my teacher and smiling at her, she waited for me to answer, and I took a moment to think before replying,

"I want to dance in the stars."

My teacher smiled, and shook her head.

No, I wasn't a damsel in distress, but when the night came along, and banished the day, the stars would twinkle above me, like a sea of whispers.

I knew where I wanted to be.


	2. You came back!

A.N. Hey guys, chapter one, here we come! Please review and tell me what you think!

_Chapter One_

The night is young, and the air is chilly as it wraps itself around the unsuspecting people of London.

The people shiver, not noticing the blue police box in one of the darker Alleys.

The man who steps out of the box wears a brown suite and a red bow tie, his brown hair whips around his face, his green eyes are locked on his box, a content smile on his face,

"C'mon Amy!"

A petite, red haired female follows the man from the box, her body shivers and she pulls her black coat tighter around her body.

She glances around, her blue eyes taking in the area,

"Where are we, Doctor?"

The man, now identified as 'Doctor', shoots her a grin,

"London, Amy."

She cocks her head, a delicate frown on her head,

"Why are we here?"

But the Doctor is already moving, shifting between people, moving swiftly down the street.

Amy shakes her head before closing the box and following after the Doctor, a small laugh peeling from her mouth.

People frown and tut as they shimmy through the crowds, looks of disapproval on their faces.

They arrive quickly at their destination, a small building on the end of the street.

The doctor pulls a strange device from his pocket, and aims it towards the building as a high-pitched scream of terror peels from one of the upstairs rooms.

The Doctor doesn't think before using his device to unlock the door and race upstairs, towards the screaming.

No one on the street stops to look, or even to listen to the screams, maybe, if they had, things would be different.

Amy follows The Doctor up the flight of stairs, her footsteps echoing around the house.

The Doctor pries open one of the old doors, it creaks in protest but the Doctor spares it no mind.

His dark green eyes find the screaming girl within seconds, her bushy brown hair swirls around her face and her feet don't touch the floor. Another scream of terror rips from her mouth as The Doctor stares in shock at the band of electric around her waist.

Amy gasps before rushing forwards. The Doctor holds out his hand to stop her from reaching the girl.

The Doctor presses a button on his strange device, and it begins to beep. Within seconds the electric is gone, and the girl is spread on the floor.

The Doctor looks around the dark room, it's a child's bedroom with stuffed bears and a small bed. Yet the girl is not a child.

That's when he notices the blue creature in the corner, hidden from view by a pile of old books.

He lunges forward and grabs the small creature by the back of its neck.

"What are you doing, Doctor?"

He sends Amy a small smile before turning back to the creature,

"_You have twenty seconds to surrender and hand me your device."_

The Creature frowns, his reply is filled with sarcasm,

"_And if I don't?"_

The Doctor shakes his head,

"_I'll report you to the Shadow Proclamation for attacking a human being."_

The creature gulps, its large eyes widen and its nose sniffles before his stubby hands place a device on the Doctor's palm.

The Doctor smiles at it before walking over to the window and dropping it into the street, making Amy gasp in shock. The Doctor turns to her and rolls his eyes,

"He'll be fine. Silly idiot can fly."

Amy shakes her head before turning to the girl,

"Who is she, Doctor?"

The Doctor kneels down in front of the girl and shakes his head as he moves her hair from her face,

"A girl I met long ago. Of course, she was younger then."

Amy frowns,

"Why did you meet her?"

The Doctor smiles as he remembers,

"She was five years old and there was a 'monster' in her closet. A baby Slitheen was feeding of her life force to survive. She was so smart, she knew it was an alien, and she was prepared to sort it out herself."

Amy smiles as he remembers,

"Is she often in trouble?"

The Doctor shakes his head,

"In her lifetime, this is the first time I've seen her in thirteen years."

Amy smiles, secretly relieved.

The girl stirs, her brown eyes flutter open and she looks around the room, panic in her eyes.

The Doctor offers her a hand to help her stand. She smiles at him, confusion decorates her face for a few seconds before she remembers,

"Doctor?"

He grins and nods. She smiles at him, her eyes sparkle,

"You came back!"

Amy watches the interaction between the two of them, wondering if that is how her fiancé will react when she returns.

The girl turns to Amy, a smile on her face. Her brown eyes watch the red-head with interest,

"Hello, what's your name?"

Amy smiles,

"I'm Amy, and you are?"

The girl grins,

"I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger."


	3. There's Not Enough Room!

**A.N. Reviews make me write quicker :D If someone can guess whats wrong with Hermione, and how it fits into the storyline, they'll get to create a character/alien for the story. You don't have to guess it now, but maybe further on?**

Chapter Two

Amy's red hair glitters in the artificial light given off by a desk lamp. A dark scowl has settled on her face as she watches Hermione and _her Raggedy Doctor _laughing. Hermione's bushy hair seems less bushy, though.

Actually, the more Amy watches her, the sicker Hermione seems. Her pale face seems drawn in and pinched and her brown eyes are less vibrant than when she had originally awoken.

Amy shakes her head, Hermione isn't ill. It's probably just her imagination trying to pick faults in the younger girl.

The Doctor turns to Amy, a childish grin on his face,

"C'mere Pond. Come play nice."

Amy sends him a grin before skipping over to the pair.

"So… Do you always follow the Doctors every order?" Hermione's voice is light and teasing, but there is an underlining tone of genuine curiosity that sparks Amy's temper.

"No! _He _follows my orders."

Hermione merely rolls her eyes at the foolish girl, the question had been harmless, but the red head girls face now holds an angry flush and a scornful look.

The Doctor is oblivious to the mini-argument and merely continues to smile like he has won the lottery,

"Hermione's coming with us."

Hermione, in true fashion when hit with an unexpected comment, turns wide-eyed,

"I'm what?"

Amy glares at the bushy haired girl,

"She's what?!"

The Doctor grins,

"She's coming with us."

Hermione's face scrunches up in confusion,

"I am?!"

The Doctor merely nods,

"Yep."

"Why?"

The Doctor's face quickly changes into a confused frown,

"I promised, didn't I? And I never break a promise."

Hermione's eyes light up as she remembers that day back when she was five,

_Young Hermione's eyes begin to water as The Magical Doctor opens the door to his blue box,_

"_Who are you, Doctor?"_

_The mad Doctor turns back to the child, a wide grin on his face,_

"_A daft old man who stole a magic box and ran away."_

_Hermione's eyes widen,_

"_Can I go with you?"_

_The Doctor smiles and shakes his head,_

"_What about mummy and daddy?"_

_Hermione looks down at her bare feet,_

"_They wouldn't miss me. Just one less mouth to feed."_

_The doctor sighs before bending down to the little girl, he gingerly places one hand on each of her cheeks, it nearly covers her dainty face,_

"_Maybe one day, Hermione, but not now. I'll come back for you. I promise."_

_The unlikely pair lock pinkeys before The Doctor rushes into his box. _

"B-But she can't come! There's not enough room in the TARDIS!"

The Doctor rolls his eyes,

"Of course there's room. The TARDIS always, _always _has room."

Amy simply glares and crosses her arms over her chest.

Hermione looks up at The Doctor, conflicting thoughts in her head,

"Can I pack a bag?"

The Doctor shakes his head, his brown hair dances in as he does so,

"You won't need a bag. The TARDIS is fully equipped."

Hermione shakes her head,

"I need a bag."

The Doctor frowns, but relents,

"Okay. Amy and I will wait outside for you."

Hermione nods in thanks and watches the pair leave her tiny apartment.

She smiles softly, what a way to end? Travelling through the stars with the man time forgot… What a beautiful ending.

She grabs her over-night bag and fills it with clothes and her wand. You see, Hermione's no ordinary girl off the street. Hermione is a witch. She attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for seven years, well, six really. But that last year… She shakes her head, unwilling to remember the war that cost her so much more than anyone could have thought.

She places several vials filled with an amber liquid on the top of her clothes before zipping up the bag and walking carefully down the stairs. She doesn't notice the glowing crack on her wall, the one which somehow seems to give a draft, yet the crack itself doesn't go through the entire wall. She never noticed.

Anyway. as stated, The Doctor and Amy were indeed waiting outside.

"Come along then, you two. Lets go."

The Doctor leads the two females back to his blue box. Amy is the first to step inside as the Doctor holds the door open for Hermione, who barely gasps as she enters,

"So, what're you going to say? I've heard it all."

Hermione grins before turning to the Doctor,

"I have a tent like this."

He frowns,

"A… Tent? Like this?"

She smirks,

"Yup. Bigger on the inside."

The Doctor is slightly disappointed but doesn't argue with her.


	4. Which British Prime Minister?

Chapter Three

One question that should be asked, for Hermione at least, is how does the phone ring when it's not actually connected?

Whether she knows the answer or not, the phone is now in her hand, pressed against her ear,

"Hello?"

"_May I address The Doctor, please?"_

Hermione frowns, the voice on the other end of the phone is gruff and laced with power, but yet, it's very soft at the same time,

"Doctor, it's for you?"

The Doctor, who is pretending to be busy looking at a screen hanging from one of the many bars within the TARDIS, waves his hand at her,

"Who is it?"

If Hermione were to turn back to him, she would notice that his eyes, in fact, go straight back to her, as if expecting her to fall or something.

"He says who is it?"

"_Tell him it's the British Prime Minister."_

There is a chuckle in his voice that makes her smile,

"It's the British Prime Minister."

The Doctor again waves away her comment,

"Which one?"

Hermione sighs,

"Which one?"

"_The current one."_

Hermione shakes her head, her bushy hair flies around her face, making it hard for The Doctor to see her expression,

"The current one, Doctor."

The Doctor groans,

"Which current one? There are so many!"

Hermione turns back to the phone, a small smile threatening to break out of her face,

"Which current one?"

"_Winston Churchill. Tell him I need a word."_

Hermione's eyes widen before she turns back to The Doctor,

"It's Winston Churchill, he says he needs a word with you, if that's alright."

The Doctor grins, his face lighting up like a child on Christmas day,

"Pass him over then!"

His strides are quick, and within moments The Doctor is by Hermione's side and she passes him the phone without argument.

She shakes her head at The Doctors enthusiasm before walking away from him and over to Amy, who is sitting by the open doors of the TARDIS, her legs hanging out into space.

"Can I join you?"

Hermione's question is met with silent irritation by the older girl, but nevertheless, Amy nods and Hermione copies Amy's pose, her legs swinging out in the wide space.

Hermione stares. The black canvas is full of bright, shining stars and purple hues and planets… And it's oh so quiet. And ever so large.

The stars seem to tease Hermione, dancing away in the sky. Mocking her gently _'Come join us'_.

The impulse is there, the desire… A need.

It's Amy's hand on her shoulder that brings her back to the shaky feeling of reality that the TARDIS radiates,

"Let's show you your room." Amy's tone of voice is bitter, but soft. Hermione nods.

"Okay."

The two girls both rise to their feet, each giving the stars one last fleeting look before closing the double doors.

The golden-bronze TARDIS interior is beautiful and large, a sight that Hermione knows she'll never forget. Bright lights decorate the walls in white hexagon shapes and the control panel seems to glow with a golden light.

There's so much room, Hermione can understand The Doctors earlier comment 'The TARDIS always, _always _has room.'

"Pond? I think you're going to like this."

Amy stops in her tracks, a beaming smile on her face as The Doctor addresses her,

"What am I going to like?"

A bright smile erupts on The Doctors face,

"We're going to meet Winston Churchill!"

Amy's eyes widen,

"Really!? When?!"

The Doctor smirks before rushing past the two girls and flinging open the doors.

"Now, really."

"DOCTOR!"

The three occupants of the TARDIS stare wide-eyed at the short, round man with the strong voice and the large cigar in his mouth. His black suit is intimidating and reeks of power, or maybe it's simply smoke?

"Winston! Good to see you!"

The short man grins before practically dragging the Doctor from the TARDIS, much to the girls amusement.

None-the-less the two girls follow The Doctor into a barely lit corridor. Amy and Hermione gawk around, both girls instantly knowing where they are, but it's Amy's voice that squeaks out:

"These are the cabinet war rooms!"

Her comment is ignored as Churchill talks to The Doctor,

"So, you've changed your face again?"

The Doctor grins sheepishly,

"Yes, well, I've had a bit of work done…"

Churchill sighs before pushing open a set of doors and leading them into a meetings room of sorts. A red light flickers on the wall, Hermione frowns,

"Are we being invaded?"

Churchill nods,

"Now?"

He nods again.

"We stand at a crossroads, Doctor. Quite alone. With our backs to the wall. Invasion is expected daily. So I will grasp with both hands anything that will give us an advantage over the Nazi menace."

The Doctor grins,

"Such as?"

Churchill gives him a smug grin,

"Come and see."


	5. That's not possible

**A.N. Thanks for all the amazing reviews I'm quite happy with the way this story is heading, does anyone agree? Is there anything you want me to add in? I'm quite happy to take on ideas from others If you give me an idea for an add-in scene, I'll give you a shout out so that you get your credit **

**Also, whilst I'm here, I'm only going to write this once: If I owned Harry Potter or Doctor Who, this would've already happened.**

Chapter Four

London, under the cover of darkness, is silent. The only sound that can be heard is the invading German planes. Their engines roar over the terrified city.

On the roof of the war rooms, five people stand, watching the planes.

"Doctor, this is Proffesor Bracewell, the head of the IronSide project."

The Doctor cocks his head,

"IronSides?"

Hermione frowns, her small face seems drawn in, and the frown seems to require a lot of effort,

"What's an IronSide?"

Churchill turns to Bracewell,

"Ready when you are."

Bracewell nods before climbing up a ladder to a higher platform, his features are toned down in the dark, making it hard to see how he looks. All that the other four people can see is his slightly plump body.

"Ready?"

Bracewells voice carries over the silence.

The formation of German planes are nearly directly overhead now, and Bracewells voice is loud and clear as he gives the go ahead.

A clear, metallic sound fills the ear as blue laser-lights erupt from behind a wall, each light hits directly into its target and the plane barely has a moment to register that it's been hit before exploding.

The Doctors eyes widen and Hermione's body stiffens,

"What was that, Doctor?"

His words are mixed and unclear,

"It's-It's… That was never-No, can't be… That sounded like-That was never human!"

Churchill beckons for Bracewell to introduce his IronSide.

The sound of wheels turning fills the peoples ears as a metal creature arrives from behind the wall. It's dark paint covers the salt-shaker shape and a plunger-look alike and something similar to a whisk point forwards. A single eye on the head of the creature meets the shocked Doctor's gaze.

"That's not possible." Hermione's voice is riddled with fear, her eyes widening as she takes in the robot. The Doctor's voice is laced with a dangerous anger as he replies to her statement,

"Daleks. What do you want?"

"I am your soooldiiieeer." The robots voice is eerie and tinted with no emotion.

"No, no, no. What have you done, Churchill?!"

The round man's face is the picture of smugness,

"I'm going to win the war, Doctor."

The Doctor shakes his head,

"No."

Winston turns to the IronSide/Dalek,

"What is your purpose?"

"To win the WAAAAAR."

The Doctor plants a sneer on his normally cheerful face,

"Which war? The one against Germany? Or the one against anything not Dalek?"

Amy looks between The Doctor and the IronSide/Dalek, confusion evident in her eyes,

"Doctor?"

The Doctor turns to Amy,

"Tell him, Amy. Tell him about the Daleks."

Amy frowns,

"What would _I_ know about the Daleks?"

The doctor groans,

"They invaded your world, remember?"

Amy shakes her head,

"Nope."

The Doctor turns to her, concern and confusion on his face,

"That's not possible."

Hermione sways on the spot, her face is drawing in and her breathing is becoming difficult, Amy notices, her previous anger and jealousy at the girl disappear for a moment,

"Hermione? Are you alright?"

Hermione's head nods feebly as The Doctor whips around to see what's going on. Concern is the only emotion in his eyes as he looks at Hermione,

"What wrong?"

She shakes her head, words failing her. The IronSide/Dalek moves behind her as she falls, catching her on the poking out utensil-look-a-likes.

"Get off her!"

The Doctor rushes forward, yanking Hermione from the robots grasp.

"Doctor?"

The man looks down at the girl, ignoring Amy's growing jealousy,

"Yes, 'Mione?"

"I need-"

His eyes widen,

"What do you need?"

"My…Bag…"

The Doctor nods,

"Okay."

He turns to Amy, mouthing the words,

"Go get her bag!"

But Hermione shakes her head,

"I'll… Go…"

The doctor frowns but lets her go gently. She sways dangerously as she walks down the stairs and into the building, out of sight.

Hermione takes a deep breath before turning on the spot, picturing in her mind the interior of the TARDIS, the golden walls and bright lights… There's a pulling behind her navel and then she's gone from the staircase, reappearing inside the TARDIS. Where she once stood, a Dalek comes out from the shadows.

Inside the TARDIS, Hermione groans, her legs shake and her vision blurs. Her bag is right there, right where she left it. She quickly forces it open and grabs one of the vials. The amber liquid sloshes in the crystal vial as Hermione pops the lid off, she downs the liquid quickly and gasps as the cool liquid spreads through her body.

The pain fades and colour returns to her cheeks as they fill out, her eyes brighten and her back straightens. Instantly, she looks like nothing is wrong, and it's hard to believe that inside her body… Well, let's not get into that.

She sighs, a content smile on her face as she once again exits the TARDIS.


	6. We are safe, for now

**A.N. Hey guys, its me **** I finally got round to writing a new chapter! Yay! Unfortunately, no one was able to guess what's wrong with Hermione, don't worry, its an on-going thing which does key in very importantly with the end of this book. I think you'll like it.**

Chapter Five

Emotions are a funny thing, should one think about it. They control our every movement, our every thought, our every desire. And sometimes, they change so fast you end up feeling dizzy and unsure. Some of the strongest emotions, perhaps, are anger and happiness, two polar opposites that can change a persons outlook on everything.

Daleks, or IronSides, are very peculiar. Shaped like a salt-shaker, they don't appear very threatening, not until they speak. Their voices are drained, robotic and unforgettable. The words are very staged, almost scripted, drilled into them from birth. But, somehow, the most peculiar thing about the strange inhabitants, are the lack of basic emotions.

They don't feel joy, happiness, sadness, grief, only anger. A never ending anger.

A dangerous enemy, they do not pity or sympathise, and as such, they do not hesitate.

Churchill, of course, is oblivious to the danger he is placing everyone in.

"If Hitler invaded Hell, I would give a favourable reference to the devil. Now, these machines are our salvation."

A high-pitched wail of an alarm tears through the air as a considerably better Hermione re-joins The Doctor, Churchill and Amy.

Churchill's fat arm races towards his heart,

"The all clear… We are safe, for now."

A green Dalek, previously named 'Sqaudy' by the red-haired female named Amy, pushes past the brunette woman, its long, blue eye lingers on her for a few moments longer than The Doctor can tolerate. He glares at the offending robot before turning back to Churchill,

"The world will burn, Churchill, they do not pity you're kind, this is suicide."

But Churchill merely waves the comment away before waddling to another part of the room, where the workers were eating biscuits and drinking tea.

The Doctor and Amy approach Hermione, her earlier illness seems forgotten,

"What does hate look like, girls?"

Hermione and Amy turn to each other, confusion on each of their faces,

"Hate?"

He locks the both of them in a look so filled with vengeance, that Hermione is briefly transported in to her memories, to a day when another man had looked at her like that, his long blonde hair hiding the fresh scars as he watched- No. The Doctor isn't Lucius Malfoy.

"It looks like a Dalek."

He runs a hand through his hair,

"It looks like a Dalek, and I'm going to prove it."

Then he turns, sprinting out of the room. The two girls don't think before following him.

They race through corridors, Hermione can feel the effects of her potion beginning to fade, running means sweating, the potion is leaving her system. So she stops and waves for the two to carry on, not that either of them noticed anyway.

She rests her hands on her knees and takes a deep breath as a sharp pain rips through her skin. She doesn't even grimace, though. Months of torture had allowed her tolerance level to pain to rise a fair amount.

The sound of machinery fills her ears and she turns, instantly alert, fully aware of the hidden eye on her back,

"I know you're there."

There's no answer,

"I'm not afraid of you."

"That is a mista-ake."

The Dalek comes into view, barely centimeters away from Hermione before it stops.

"You are different." The Daleks voice makes Hermione cringe slightly.

The two stare at each other, both waiting for the other to back down. It's silent, and awfully tense. Hermione doesn't know how long it lasts, it feels like hours under the scrutinizing gaze.

Then another robotic voice calls out,

"TESTIMONY ACCEPTED!"

And Hermione's world goes dark.


	7. I'll come back for you

**A.N. Hey, its another chapter! Anyone wanna guess whats wrong with Hermione?**

Chapter Six

Evil is a strange concept. What do you define as evil? I suppose, it goes down to the individual. Perhaps, one person may view evil as being a white-skinned, half-blooded lunatic with severe daddy issues, another may view it as a strange diary that stripped them of their self-worth and their will power.

To The Doctor, those are certainly bad, maybe even slightly evil. But to him, he who is 900 years old and who has seen far more death and loss than any other, evil is the one without soul. It is the one who can look another in the eye, and kill without a shred of regret. It is to have no emotion in their eyes, their voice, their very being. To The Doctor, evil is the Dalek.

The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding.

That's what happened in the bunker room, after all. It was a few harmless words that slipped from a tongue laced with anger,

"You are everything I despise. The worst sin in all creation. I've defeated you time and time again. I've defeated you. I sent you back into the Void. I've saved the whole of reality from you. I am the Doctor and you are the Daleks!"

Everything spiralled downhill from there.

Churchill, Amy and The Doctor watched in horror as the Daleks disappeared into thin air. It took less than a second for The Doctor to jump into action. His legs move faster than possible towards his TARDIS, under his breath, he can be heard muttering 'Not this time' and 'Last chance'.

Amy and Churchill follow, but they don't make it in time. The whirr-ing sound of the TARDIS meets their ears, and Amy gasps in indignation,

"What do we do now?!"

Churchill smiles sadly and shakes his head, the layers of fat under his chin wobble with the movement,

"K.B.O. I suppose."

Amy frowns in confusion, causing the portly man to chuckle,

"Keep Buggering On."

Amy nods, the hint of disappointment at being left behind still lingers in her eyes.

"Now, Miss Pond, where is your friend?"

"The Doctor?"

The man shakes his head,

"Miss Granger. The other young lady?"

Amy cocks her head to the side, trying to remember when she had last seen the girl, but it's in vain,

"I'm sure she was right behind us earlier…"

Meanwhile, as they debate her whereabouts, Hermione groans.

Her head feels like its splitting open, she can feel every nerve blazing in pain. It only intensifies when she finally opens her eyes, and is struck by a blinding silver light. She moans and tries to shield her eyes, only to find that it's pointless, the light is dimming already.

The Daleks surround her, the metal of their casing is impossible to ignore.

"Are you going to offer me tea? How about a pain killer?"

If Daleks could look in disgust, Hermione believes they would,

"Your human problems are irrele-vant."

Hermione grunts in response, of course, her 'human problems'.

"Where am I?"

The Daleks disband around the strange silver room,

"That information is classified."

Hermione shakes her head, a tingle of fear running through her body, it's not often that she doesn't know something. Even when she was being tortured, she knew where she was, who her enemy was, and what she was fighting for. At the moment, she's not sure.

"Where's The Doctor?"

Turns out, she needn't have wasted her breath. Merely seconds later, the man in tweed marches into the room, he doesn't even notice her.

"How 'bout that cuppa now, then?"

The Daleks are in a flurry of movement,

"IT IS THE DOCTOR!"

"EXTERMINATE!"

"EXTERMINATE!"

The Doctor flinches for a second before telling them to stop,

"Wait wait wait! I wouldn't if I were you. TARDIS self-destruct. And you know what that means. My ship goes, you all go with it!"

From his inside pocket on his tweed blazer, the doctor pulls out a button-looking device.

Hermione studies it from her spot, and faint smile gracing her face,

"You smart, stupid man, Doctor." The words aren't loud enough for him to hear.

A dalek goes to scan the device,

"You would not use such a device!"

The Doctor backs away, and raises his hand,

"Fine. Ah ah ah ah ah! No scans. No nothing. One move and I'll destroy us all, have you got that? TARDIS bang bang, Daleks BOOM! Good boy. This ship's pretty beaten up. Running on empty, I'd say. Like you. When we last met, you were at the end of your rope. Finished."

"One ship surv-ived."

The Doctor nods, his agitation growing. 

"And you fell back through time, yes. Crippled, dying." 

"We picked up a trace. One of the progenitor devices." 

For a second, The Doctor looks confused,

"Progenitor, what's that when it's at home?" 

The Daleks swivel in place,

"It is our past. And our future." 

The Doctor looks impressed for a moment,

"'Cor. That's deep. That is deep for a Dalek. What does it mean though?"

**"**It contains pure Dalek DNA. Thousands were created, all were lost. Save one." 

Hermione watches The Doctor pace, her wand hums gently in her pocket as power surges through her. She turns quickly, searching for the cause. And then she sees the Dalek by the controls. For the first time since waking up, she realises she's in a clear tube. Panic courses through her and she smashes her sift against the material. The Doctor can't hear her.

"This is brilliant, the device didn't recognise you as Daleks! You're impure!"

"A solution was devised."

The Doctor moves his head, a sign of his impatience,

"Yes, yes. Me. My testimony. So you set a trap. You knew that the progenitor would recognize me, Daleks' greatest enemy. It would accept my word, my recognition of you. No no no. What are you doing?"  
>The Dalek by the controls has caught The Doctors attention and it diverts its own. And Hermione realises with a clutch at her heart exactly what they're going to do,<p>

"Withdraw now, Doctor, or the city dies in flames!"

But The Doctor can't see what they've done.

"Who are you kidding? This ship is a _wreck_. You don't have the power to destroy London." 

The control-panel Dalek would be smirking, if it could, and he twists the controls, The Doctor sees something that Hermione can't.

"Watch as the humans destroy themselves."

Hermione can guess what he sees, the darkness from before is lighting up, and London is blazed with light. Right in the middle of war.

And as the large city lights up, so does the room. Different coloured lights fill the air and Hermione searches for the source.

She's not sure how she's missed this, but there, in the centre of the room, is a large machine. The progenitor.

Panic fills her mind as she backs away, slight PTSD kicking in at the different lights. For a moment, she's back in the castle, ducking under broken archways, running past other students, dodging spells. Then the Daleks speak and she's back, her breathing is laboured.

"It is begin-ing!"

The sounds of doors opening grates against her ears, and five large, brightly-coloured Daleks enter the room. They're huge, and they radiate anger and hostility.

It's proven when they shoot and destroy the original, smaller Daleks.

The Doctor looks horrified,

"I'd hate to see what you do to the ones who mess up."

"It was necessary!"

The Doctor frowns,

"Switch off your machine, or I'll blow us up!"

"And risk yourself? And your company-ion?!"

Hermione looks up as The Doctor notices her, his eyes widening, her throat is scratchy as she answers for him,

"Occupational hazard."

The Indigo Dalek speaks, his voice sends shivers of fear down her spine,

"Scan reveals nothing. TARDIS self-destruct is non-existant!"

The Doctor frowns, but replies with a witty remark non-the-less,

"Alright, it's a jammie dodger. But I was promised tea!"

"Leave, and the machine will be stopped."

"You know I can't do that."

"Bracewell is a bomb."

The Doctor looks disgusted,

"You're bluffing. Deception is second nature to you. There isn't a sincere bone in your body… There isn't a bone in your body…"

The Dalek chuckles a twisted chuckle,

"Bomb is activated!"

The Doctor glances at Hermione, and she knows he is torn. And his choice is clear, stay here and save her as well as stop the Daleks, or go and save the Earth. It's also clear to her what he needs to do.

"Go, Doctor. Go now. I'll be okay."

He frowns in despair,

"I'll come back for you."

Hermione shakes her head, she can't afford to hope now.

"Just go. I'm okay."

The Doctor glances at her with both longing and worry. He knows he gets attached far too quickly, but he'd never stopped waiting for Hermione. She was the little girl who saw him after his run-in with the little Amelia. And he'd promised he'd come back to take her away. Take her on an amazing adventure. Now, here she is, no longer small or innocent, and already facing death. She's ill, too. He can tell.

He's only just got her.

Now he's losing her.

She urges him to go, her small hands pointing to the TARDIS and he sighs before turning and running to the box. He promises himself he'll come back for her.

The TARDIS disappears with the loud noise that can't be put into words.

Hermione turns to the Daleks, and rises to her feet,

"He didn't save yo-u. The Doctor is go-ne."

Hermione nods, hatred burning in her veins,

"I told him to go."

The Dalek studies her for a moment before turning away from the girl.

Hermione's hand goes to her pocket, the bulge of her wand relaxes her and she wraps her fingers around it, allowing the warmth to fill her blood. She can feel her magic surge and beg for release.

She twirls it in an intricate pattern and points it at the container in which she is kept,

"BOMBARDA!"

The material explodes around her, shards get stuck in her face and arms, her blood begins to seep down her skin.

But she doesn't care. Around her, the Daleks are turning, and for her, it's in slow motion as she moves her wand again, years of being friends with Harry Potter and The War have her more than prepared,

"PROTEGO MAXIMA!"

A large golden shield forms around her, the magic weaves and dances around her frail body. The Daleks shoot at her, and though the beams are strong, they can't break her shield. It's only so strong though, as strong as Hermione. Who, with the use of magic, seems to be getting ill. Her shield won't last. It travels with her as she moves, until she is stationary near the controls. She searches, calling on her Muggle heritage.

There it is. The speaker. She pulls it from the socket, its large and heavy. She waves her wand, muttering under her breath. A buzzing fills the air, and she's on the network. She wasn't called the brightest witch of the age for nothing.

"Doctor? Someone get me The Doctor!"

There's a humming on the other end of the line and she waits for a moment, fiddling with the controls.

There's a sharp noise from the speaker, and then The Doctor is speaking, his voice is as clear as it would be if he was stood next to her,

"Hello?"

Hermione smiles, there is always hope.

"Doctor! I need to know how to undo what the Daleks did. How do I switch off the lights?"

She can hear him sigh. The Daleks are still shooting at her to no avail,

"Hermione, you cant do anything from that tube-"

"Good thing I got out then. I've… confused them. I have maybe twenty minutes top, tell me what to do."

He sighs,

"Don't suppose you'll tell me how?"

She giggles,

"Not for the moment, Doctor."

Hermione's fingers dance across the screen in front of her, following The Doctors instructions to a T.

Then she glances from the window,

"Why isn't it working?"

As she utters those words, she sees London go dark again. She squeels in delight,

"I did it, Doctor! I did it!"

She can almost feel his pride in his words,

"Yes, you did."

She can hear something on the end of the line,

"Doctor, he hasn't got long, we're going to die!"

Then The Doctor's voice is back to her,

"Hermione, I have to go. I can't talk now, but I'll come back, keep talking to me, I need to know you're alive. I'll come for you."

Hermione sighs,

"Okay."

Her fingers dance across the screen again, searching for a program… And there it is 'Bracewell' in ruins. She thanks the stars she took ancient runes.

She opens it, she can see the countdown. One minute.

She turns to the Daleks,

"How do I stop it?"

They laugh at her, it's a high pitched scream and it's enough to make her cover her ears,

"We will not tell y-ou."

"Then I'll figure it out myself."

She can hear The Doctor telling Bracewell that he is a man, telling him to hold onto his humanity. She works faster, scanning the screen for any indication.

30 seconds.

And there it is. What she sees almost makes her cry.

"Doctor?"

Her voice is weak.

"I know how to switch him off."

The Doctor reponds enthusiastically,

"Do it, Hermione."

She holds back a sob,

"If I do it, they escape. His power will return to the ship. They'll be able to leave."

There's silence.

She knows what she has to do.

"Thank you, Doctor. It's been amazing."

And she pushes the button.

A sound fills her ears just as the ship lights up. It's the TARDIS. Less than a meter away from her.

She stuffs her wand in her pocket. Her shield is weakening.

The door opens, and two hands dash out, grabbing her arms and yanking her into the ship, just as her shield fails. Her eyesight blurs as the door closes. The last thing she sees is The Doctor kneeling down next to her, telling her she is safe.


End file.
